New Illinois coach to make homegrown talent a priority

[ASFN Admin]

New Illinois coach Bret Bielema said Monday he hopes to have a staff in place by early January and is already concentrating on homegrown recruiting. “I called (the Illinois Department of Transportation) and told them to put up roadblocks so kids won’t be allowed to leave the state,” he joked at his introductory news conference. Bielema, a native of tiny Prophetstown in northwestern Illinois, replaces Lovie Smith, who went 17-39 overall in his five-year tenure and posted a 10-33 Big Ten record.

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